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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Kearneysville, West Virginia » Appalachian Fruit Research Laboratory » Innovative Fruit Production, Improvement, and Protection » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #317302
Title: Ecofriendly hot water treatment reduces postharvest decay and elicits defense response in kiwifruit

Author
item CHEN, HUIZHEN - Hefei University Of Technology
item CHENG, ZHE - Hefei University Of Technology
item Wisniewski, Michael
item LIU, YONGSHENG - Hefei University Of Technology
item LIU, JIA - Hefei University Of Technology

Submitted to: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/13/2015
Publication Date: 5/24/2015
Citation: Chen, H., Cheng, Z., Wisniewski, M.E., Liu, Y., Liu, J. 2015. Ecofriendly hot water treatment reduces postharvest decay and elicits defense response in kiwifruit. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 22:15037-15045.

Interpretive Summary: There is a need to develop alternative methods of postharvest disease control that do not rely on the use of synthetic chemical fungicides. This demand is driven by consumer demand and by the development of fungicide resistance in different strains of molds that cause fruit to rot. Heat treatments of fruit and vegetables has been explored as an effective alternative. In the present study, the use of heat treatments was explored as a method of managing postharvest diseases on kiwifruit. The research was conducted under a non-funded cooperative agreement between the USDA-ARS and Hefei University of Technology. Results indicated that the heat treatments effectively reduced both grey mold and blue mold on harvested kiwifruit. The heat treatments inhibited spore germination and induced defense reactions in the harvested fruit. No impact on fruit quality was observed. The study demonstrates that hot water treatment can be an effective non-chemical alternative for managing postharvest diseases of kiwifruit.

Technical Abstract: Hot water treatment (HWT) of fruit is an effective approach for managing postharvest decay of fruits and vegetables. In the present study, the effects of HWT (45 degrees C for 10 min) on the growth of Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum in vitro, and gray (B. cinerea) and blue mold (P. expansum) development in kiwifruit were investigated. HWT effectively inhibited spore germination and germ tube elongation of B. cinerea and P. expansum. Reactive oxygen species accumulation and protein impairment in the fungi triggered by HWT contributed to the inhibitory effect. Results of in vivo studies showed that HWT controlled gray and blue mold in kiwifruit stored at 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C. HWT induced a significant increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase and peroxidase, and the level of total phenolic compounds in kiwifruit. These findings indicate that the inhibition of postharvest decay in kiwifruit by HWT is associated with the inhibition of spore germination of both fungal pathogens and the elicitation of defense response in the kiwifruit host. Moreover, HWT used in this study did not impair fruit quality. HWT appears to represent a potential non-chemical alternative for the effective management of postharvest decay of kiwifruit.